Midnight Rain
by Wolfie the Love Warrior
Summary: A story of how a dark morning turns light when love shone between two lovers' eyes. A NejiTen story; Quote is inside; My tenth quote-shot; Enjoy!


Sorry for the late update.  
>I didn't get home until 8 PM in Saturday, and had no contact with my laptop until 8:30 PM on Sunday.<br>I don't write later than 9 PM. That's when I'm tire and derived from all necessary energy in my head.

I had more than second thoughts about this story.  
>I was about to delete everything when I was half-way done, but then again, I don't think I've written a quote-shot that involved ninjas before, did I?<p>

So, here it is.  
>I hope you enjoy it!<p>

Standard copyright disclaimer is applied.

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><p><em>"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."<em>

-Lao Tzu

* * *

><p>"Neji!" Tenten called out as a weakened Neji fell to the ground, "Neji," Tenten called out again as she approached and held him, "are you alright?"<p>

Cringing from the pain that punctured him in the right side of his body, "Y-yeah," Neji managed to say.

Tenten frowned. Neji had cuts, bruises, broken bones, and his chakra is completely drained.

He was _far_ from alright.

"Face it, human."

Tenten gasped at the voice and glared at who said it. When she saw who it was, she found herself shaking.

Who, or _wha_t, is that?

The large figure that spoke looked down to the two ninjas on the ground smirked when it saw Tenten's cowering body.

"Your companion is no match for me," The figure declared, "Soon, he will be added to me collection of faces, just like everyone else."

Tenten continued shaking as she watched every face in the giant monsters form moan in agony, drowning in black sludge that served as prevention from making the souls rest in peace.

"N-n-n-n-n-no!" Tenten managed to speak out, fighting the tears in her eyes, "N-N-Neji w-w-will n-n-n-nev-v-ver b-be a-a-a p-p-part o-o-o-of-f-f y-you!"

Laughing to the heavens as if the heavens send the two ninjas to the multiple-faced monster for amusement, "Foolish human!" The monster cried out in levity, "You do not know who you are dealing with! You should be running for your life, not wasting it for some other fool who could not even fight to save his own!"

"Shut up!" Tenten spat as she held Neji closer to her.

"Tenten," Neji weakly called out, "Do not be unwise. Run to the village and call for help. I will just be a burden to you."

"No!" Tenten disobeyed.

"You should listen to your friend, human," The monster advised, "Run for your life. Cling it to your heart. Fight until you're the last one standing."

"Tenten," Neji called out, urging her to obey.

"No!" Tenten refused again, "I'm not leaving you, Neji! I'm not making this monster touch you!"

"Tenten," Neji called out again softly in disbelief.

Chuckling darkly, "Well if you are too stubborn to leave your friend alone," Tenten gripped Neji's body tighter as the monster approached, "Then why don't you join him?"

"TENTEN!" Neji called out in alert before Tenten jumped away from the monster's attack.

Dark laughter was heard again from the distance. Tenten scowled and stood in a fighting stance, holding Neji carefully by the side at the same time.

"You cannot run away from me that long, little girl!" the monster taunted as he levitated his black sludgy form towards their direction, "Both your faces will be mine!"

"Why are you doing this, Tenten?" Neji asked, "Why are you risking your life for me so much?"

Before Tenten could get a chance to answer, she, with Neji, jumped to another part of the field when the monster hurled another ball of black sludge at them.

"We're teammates, Neji," Tenten reminded, "teammates don't leave each other behind."

After dodging another one of the monster's sludge balls, "I am not going to have you risk your life for me," Neji told her, "You have to let me go."

"No!" Tenten refused before dodging another sludge ball, "Stop doing this to me!"

"Doing what?" Neji asked, "Saving your life?"

"Trying to ruin it!" Tenten corrected before dodging another sludge ball.

While it continued to approach the two ninjas, "Playing hard, are you?" the monster observed, "looks like I'm going to play _harder_!"

Tenten nearly escaped with both she and Neji's lives and a bigger sludge ball made their way. The gray skies started to rain tears, making every part of the terrain slippery.

"I'm trying to save your life, Tenten!" Neji stated, "How am I trying to ruin your life?"

"Do you really think I can live my life without you?" Tenten demanded, "And do you really think I could live with myself if I left you to die here all by yourself?"

Neji became silent as Tenten barely managed to dodge another one of the monster's sludge balls. Both their eyes widened when they saw a person's face on that one.

Grunting is heard from the distance, and Neji and Tenten turned to the monster's direction to see him…melting?

"Gah!" the monster grunted as it continued to melt, "What is this? It wasn't supposed to rain!" the monster cried out as its sludge-covered started to become more and more disfigured.

Tenten and Neji gasped in surprise when an unfamiliar ninja appeared next to them.

"Well it's raining now," the ninja said before turning to the two, "you kids alright?"

The two ninjas blinked before one of them nodded.

"Y-yes," Tenten told him.

Other ninjas appeared in the sidelines and approached the faltering sludge monster. The monster gave out one last cry of agony before turning into a sludge puddle. Neji and Tenten watched as the ninjas used special jutsus to suck the sludge into special tubes. The people that were swallowed in the sludge appeared before their sight, and were soon tended by medic nins.

"C'mon kids," the ninja called, averting the ninjas' attention to him, "let's get you guys some help too. You look like you guys could need it."

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><p>"Why did you remain, Tenten?"<p>

Tenten turned from her view of the sleepy moon and faced the bandaged man behind her.

"Neji," Tenten muttered as said man approached her.

"You could have been killed," Neji informed.

"But I didn't," Tenten reminded.

"What if you have?" Neji asked.

Tenten looked to the side before turning around, her back facing him.

"It would've been better than living without you," Tenten stated.

Neji was silenced for a few moments before approaching Tenten's side.

"How is dying better than living without me?" Neji asked.

Turning to face the pearl-eyed man, "To tell you the truth," Tenten started, "They're pretty much the same thing."

Chuckling, "I'm not really alive when I'm not with you. Nothing else is really alive when I'm not with you. Living isn't living at all when I'm not living with you." Tenten added with a hint of blush in her cheeks

"Is that a confession?" Neji asked naively.

Tenten was silent for a moment before looking towards the ground.

"I guess," Tenten muttered, "but I'm not asking you to return…whatever I have for you. And I don't want you to lie to me and tell me that…"

"That what?" Neji asked before lifting Tenten's chin, meeting her gaze.

Tenten wanted to look down again, but it was like Neji literally locked her eyes together with his.

She just cannot move away.

Silently, trying not to show tears, "That you love me too," Tenten muttered weakly.

She wouldn't be surprised if Neji told her he didn't feel the same way. She wouldn't be surprised if Neji walked away and never speak to her again. But, she would be surprised if Neji kissed her in the lips in response.

And that is exactly what Neji did-not that she's complaining.

"I don't love you too, Tenten," Neji stated. Tenten felt herself break, but before she was completely broken, "I love you more," Neji added.

Tenten's eyes grew wide, and for a moment, she became confused.

"W-wha?" Tenten asked.

"I would rather die than let you die with me," Neji informed, "that is why if I had the strength, I would've forced you out of the battlefield. I did not want you to die for me._ I_ wanted to die for _you_."

Chuckling a little, "You do realize I would never let you do that, right?" Tenten asked smugly.

Chuckling back, "Sure, Tenten," kissing her on the forehead, "sure."

Raising an eyebrow, "Wait a minute," Tenten gasped silently, "Are you really Neji? This isn't how Neji would act! I know that because I've known him for years."

Chuckling again with a voice so deep and mesmerizing, "I am not sure myself," Neji shrugged, "It was always difficult to be myself when I am with you."

Tenten felt hot blood rush in her cheeks and almost pinched herself, but didn't.

Everything felt too real to be a dream.

"So," Tenten slurred, "what happens now?"

She never received an answer other than the soft lips of the man that held her in his arms. Smiling between the kiss, Tenten held him back before returning the kiss he offered.

And the answer she received was the future she saw in his eyes.

* * *

><p>The end!<br>Sorry for the late update.  
>I was busy.<p>

I don't think I have any mistakes because I keep rereading every sentence I write.  
>But if I do have any mistakes, feel free to message me.<br>I will be happy to revise it.

Thank you for reading!  
>I hope you enjoyed it!<p> 


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